Efron goes Back to the Future

It’s no secret that Zac Efron’s a huge “Back to the Future” fan (was he even born when the film was out!?) – heck, at one time he even hinted he’d like to star in a remake of it (god forbid that ever happens!). No surprise then to hear that one of two new films the “17 Again” star has agreed to do is described as being “Back to the Future-like”.

Though details are scarce, the film – which one would assume to be a time-travel movie – is a meld of two scripts, one by Tim Calpin and Kevin Jakubowski (“Assassination of a High School President”), and another that was titled “Algorithm” and had Nick Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) attached to direct.

Since the flick is set up at Warner Bros, and it’s Universal that own the “Back to the Future” series, Efron’s obvious had to go the ‘homage’ route rather than the ‘remake’ route.

Based on Efron’s past comments (“Growing up, my favourite thing to do was to climb into the car and play Back To the Future. I would pretend I was Marty McFly” he said recently), don’t be surprised if this one’s as “Back to the Future” as an unofficial redo will allow.

You gotta wonder whether Efron went to Universal with the idea of remaking “Future” – or trying to talk them back into doing “Back to the Future 4” and “Back to the Future 5”, as was the plan in the late 90s; Ed Solomon’s two-parter would’ve fixed on Doc Brown inadvertently causing the UFO crash in Roswell, and a scientist (Sarah Michelle Gellar) having to help him ‘set things right’ – before taking his ‘time-travel’ idea to WB.

The untitled flick will be produced by TV vet Mark Gordon (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Bryan Zuriff (“The Messenger”), and executive produced by Efron, Jason Barrett (“17 Again”), and Alan Riche (the upcoming “Teen Witch” remake).

Oh, the other film Efron’s doing is an action thriller titled “Fire”, based on the graphic novel by Marvel fave Brian Michael Bendis (“Ultimate Spider-Man”). The story centers on a college student who is inducted into a special CIA project that tests whether training ordinary citizens to be agents can be successful. Neal Moritz of “xXx” fame will produce; Bendis will write the screenplay. Sounds like little Zac’s trying to beat Taylor Lautner – who is also attached to a similar action thriller – to the punch. Or he’s as big a fan of Richard Grieco’s “If Looks Could Kill” as he is “Back to the Future”.

Alicia Malone is a Film Reporter, TV Host, Producer, Writer, Editor, and all around movie geek. She developed her taste for film at a young age, spending many a heady Friday night pajama-clad at the video store, picking out her 7 films for 7 days for $7. Bargain! While at school she created a Film Club, electing herself President. Eventually the School Principal asked her not to get up in assembly to talk about movies anymore.